Upgrade LP12 or buy new VPI?

I have had an Aesthetix Rhea and Calypso now for about one year and a Sondek LP12/Ittok LVII since 1983 with no regrets whatsoever. I could go on and on at length about the musical value of these choices, but I'll spare everyone that for now. Sufficed to say they are all outstanding.
Bryans, First, how much do you have to spend?
What does your Linn deck have done to it as far as upgrades, anything?
What tonearm do you have?
What is the deck sitting on?
Without knowing where you're at I would suggest getting the cirkus bearing upgrade, if you don't already have it. It is worth every penny sonically and will virtually eliminate any surface noise.
Let us know the whole story and we could better offer you our help and experience. Cheers!

OK Bryans, Here is what I think... You already have the LP12 and I don't hear any complaints, Why not upgrade?
Well, the VPI Scoutmaster is one sexy deck and with their JMW arm you will get VTA on the fly. Something you don't have with the Ittok LVII and there are plenty of other TT in this price range.
What's funny about this hobby is that you may well get a dozen responses, with a dozen different recommendations. To me it sounds as though you are looking at dropping a serious amount of money and could afford to look and if you can, listen to a lot of choices. To continue on with the Linn deck (which there will be a reasonable amount of argument against) I would recommend the following:

* Cirkus Bearing @ $650 virtually eliminates surface noise
* Trampolin Suspension @ $250? Supports isolation from vibration
* Lingo Power Supply @ $1700 everything improves and firms up bass
* Neuance Platform @ $190
(I highly recommend it, read my thread on this platform)
* Akiva Cartridge @ $ ? works excellent with the package

I made the decision this year to invest in an Akiva cartridge made by Scantech to Linn spec. retailing for $2950. Scantech produces the Lyra Helikon and Titan and I like the way both of them sound. This Linn MC fits in between these two in both price and performance. The Ittok LVII tone arm handles this cartridge most aptly but one could always opt to the Ekos arm and get the benefit of the tighter tolerances. The Akiva for me does the trick quite nicely. Sonically it is lacking nothing and I also find it a very quiet listen on older well-worn vinyl in my collection. If you were interested I could show you how to get one for a substantial price improvement from Linn. Finally, I love this turntable and it still holds its own with many decks costing a hell of a lot more money and it has been an excellent value for all these years. To buy one new and full-blown today is not a bargain IMHO.
Is all this worth the cost… No one will better answer this question than you and your ears. It worked for me (and it still does) but again, I’ve had my deck since 1983 and have upgraded it along the way. Most of the TT’s that others will recommend didn’t even exist when I was already upgrading my Linn deck. It made sense then but to go out and shop for a TT now with all the competition and the kind of dollars your talking about I might well come home with a different deck if I were you. Take you time and look at every turntable you can.
Happy Listening!

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